1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to printed circuit board (PCB) electrical connectors, and more specifically to connect/disconnect multichannel electrical connectors that use the elasticity of PCB material to maintain contact pressure between contact points on PCB connectors and electrical contacts off the PCB.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art PCB connectors required the addition of springs to maintain contact pressure. Spring clips, known as parrot clips, have been used to hold connectors and circuit boards together under contact pressure.
Conventional connectors require contact points to be concentrated in a small area to minimize the plug size, weight, and cost. The precision this entails is achieved with precisely molded connector bodies to which metal spring connectors are assembled. Usually, the body is assembled into an element which guides, i.e. keys, and holds the assembly and any harness associated therewith. The contact points may be soldered to a conductor. This technology requires extensive tooling, large volume, commonality design features, and considerable assembly cost to the original equipment manufacturer. Further, packaging must conform to common connectors, preferably catalog items. The present invention alleviates the above shortcomings of the prior art.